Pharmaceutical compositions composed of low molecular weight sulfated hyaluronan

1. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a sulfated hyaluronan or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof, wherein (1) 100% of the primary C-6 hydroxyl protons of the N-acetyl-glucosamine residues of the sulfated hyaluronan are substituted with a sulfate group, (2) the sulfated hyaluronan has a degree of sulfation from greater than 3.5 to less than or equal to 4.0, (3) the sulfated hyaluronan has an average molecular weight from 1 kDa to 3 kDa, and (4) pyridine covalently attached to the sulfated hyaluronan.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein at least one C-2 hydroxyl proton and C-3 hydroxyl proton of a uronic acid residue and at least one C-4 hydroxyl proton of an N-acetyl-glucosamine residue of hyaluronan is substituted with a sulfate group.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable ester is a prodrug.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a cream, gel, ointment, liquid, or powder.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier for transmucosal administration.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier for vaginal administration.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier for intravesical instillation.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an anti-inflammatory agent, an anti-pyretic agent, steroidal and non-steroidal drugs for anti-inflammatory use, a hormone, a growth factor, a contraceptive agent, an antiviral, an antibacterial, an antifungal, an analgesic, a hypnotic, a sedative, a tranquilizer, an anti-convulsant, a muscle relaxant, a local anesthetic, an antispasmodic, an antiulcer drug, a peptidic agonist, a sympathiomimetic agent, a cardiovascular agent, an antitumor agent, or an oligonucleotide.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound is an organic salt, a metal salt, or a combination thereof.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound is a salt selected from the group consisting of NH 4 + , Na + , Li + , K + , Ca +2 , Mg +2 , Fe +2 , Fe +3 , Cu +2 , Al +3 , Zn +2 , 2-trimethylethanolammonium cation (choline), or a quaternary salt of isopropylamine, trimethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, tripropylamine, ethanolamine, 2-dimethylaminoethanol, 2-diethylaminoethanol, lysine, arginine, and histidine.